Eval. Services for the Reemployment Services and Eligibility Assessment Program

The State of Rhode Island is soliciting an experienced evaluation partner to independently assess the statewide Reemployment Services and Eligibility Assessment (RESEA) program through a rigorous, evidence-based impact study. The contract, issued under solicitation number RFP26006587, requires the vendor to design and implement either a Randomized Controlled Trial or a quasi-experimental evaluation to measure causal effects of program components—such as in-person versus virtual service delivery—on participant reemployment outcomes, including duration of unemployment insurance benefits, quarterly earnings, and time to reemployment. The evaluation must align with U.S. Department of Labor standards, specifically adhering to CLEAR Causal Evidence Guidelines Version 2.1 with a required high or moderate causal rating and demonstrating strong statistical confidence per UIPL No. 01-20. The final report is due three years after contract commencement, anticipated for January 2027, and must be submitted to the Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training with findings intended for both state leadership and federal reporting. Proposals must be submitted electronically via the Ocean State Procures™ portal by June 15, 2026, with a Q&A deadline of May 19, 2026, and include a strictly limited six-page technical proposal addressing staff qualifications, vendor capability, work plan, and methodology, alongside a separate cost proposal structured for a firm fixed-price contract with a base year and two potential 12-month option periods. The evaluation partner must have substantial experience working with state workforce systems, particularly in handling large-scale administrative data such as unemployment insurance claims, and key personnel are required to hold advanced degrees in public policy, economics, sociology, or evaluation research. Contractors will gain access to sensitive personally identifiable information, including potential HIPAA-protected health data and Rhode Island-specific personal information, necessitating robust data security protocols and minimum insurance coverage of $20 million for mission-critical services involving full confidential data access, with breach response insurance of at least $5 million per occurrence or $25 per affected individual, whichever is greater. Subcontractor participation by Minority-, Women-, and Disability-Owned Business Enterprises must be documented in a mandatory participation plan, with additional points awarded for In-State Business Enterprise involvement. Vendors must also certify compliance with state conflict of interest laws, disclosing any prior involvement in RESEA evaluations and affirming no material role in drafting the solicitation. Cost proposals are evaluated on a 30-point scale alongside a 70-point technical evaluation focused on